1. Field
The disclosed aspects relate to wireless communication devices, and more particularly, to systems, methods and apparatus that provide for an inputted dial string or received caller identification to be properly matched to existing contact information stored in a wireless communication device.
2. Background
Wireless communication devices, such as wireless telephones are generally configured to provide for the storage of contact information. Contact information includes, but is not limited to, names of contacts; telephone number(s) of the contacts; home, business and/or email addresses associated with the contact; and the like. Stored contact information may be used to place a call or the information may be displayed in conjunction with the dialing of a contact telephone number or the receipt of a call from a contact. For example, a wireless communication device user may access the contact application and select a contact for calling purposes. By selecting a chosen contact listing, a telephone number associated with the contact is dialed and an attempt to place the call is made. Additionally, a user may dial a telephone number and if the number is associated with a contact, the wireless communication device will display contact information, such as a name, telephone number or the like. In terms of a received call, the contact information serves as the caller identification mechanism; if the received dial string matches a number in the contact listings, information associated with the contact/caller, such as name, telephone number and the like, is displayed.
Wireless communication device users may associate whatever telephone number they desire with a contact. For example, a user may associate a 10 digit number that includes the area code and local telephone number, a seven digit number that is limited, to the local telephone number or more lengthy numbers that include country codes, city codes, regional codes, network codes and the like.
A problem exists in assuring that contact information is matched and subsequently displayed when a dialed destination telephone number is connected and assuring that contact information is not matched and subsequently displayed when a dialed destination number is not connected. Destination telephone numbers are not always unique; oftentimes more than one number can successfully connect to a targeted telephone number. For example, within the United States it may or may not be necessary to dial the area code when originating a call, if the number that is being called shares the same area code as the number originating the call. In the instance in which it is not necessary to dial the area code, the call will successfully connect with or without the area code being part of the dial string. However, depending on the method used to match contact information to inputted dial strings, the contact information may or may not be displayed.
For example, in some wireless communication devices contact information is only provided if an exact match exists between the inputted or received dial string and the number stored in the contact listing. This method results in many instances in which the call is placed to a contact or a call received from a contact and the contact information is not displayed or otherwise communicated by the device. In one situation, assuming the dialing device and the contact reside in the same area code, if the dialing device stores the contact telephone number as a ten digit number (i.e., the three digit area code+seven digit telephone number) but the number dialed is the seven digit telephone number, the call will be connected, however no contact information is displayed because an exact match did not occur. In the same regard, assuming the dialing device and the contact reside in the same area code, if the dialing device stores the contact telephone number as a seven digit number but the number dialed is the ten digit area code and telephone number, the call will be connected, however no contact information is displayed because an exact match, did not occur. From the received call perspective, in the United States the device receiving a call always receives a ten digit dial string because the network will attach the area code to the dial string regardless of whether the device that placed the call inputted a seven digit or ten digit number. Thus, in the exact match scenario, if the device receiving the call stores a seven-digit number for the contact, the call will be received, however, no contact information will be displayed because an exact match did not occur.
In other wireless devices contact information is provided if a match exists between the last specified number of digits of the inputted or received dial string and the number stored in the contact listing. For example, in the United States the match may be based on the last seven digits of the stored contact listing because in the United States the telephone number is typically seven digits. In other locales, matching may be based on less or more than seven digits, depending on the number of digits in the telephone for a given locale. However, this method may result in instances in which a dialed call cannot be connected or is connected to an unintended device yet contact information is displayed. For example, in a United States application, assuming that the dialing device and the contact reside in different area codes, if the dialing device stores the contact telephone number as a ten digit number but the number dialed is a seven digit number, the call will not be connected, however the contact information will be displayed because the last seven digits of the stored contact number match the number that is dialed. In this instance, the user confronted, with contact information assumes that the call is being connected to their intended recipient when in fact the call is either not connected or is connected to an unintended device residing in the area code of the dialing device. Additionally, contact matching based on the last specified number of digits of the dialed or received dial string may pose other unique problems. For example, in another United States application, the user may store two contacts that have the same seven-digit number but differ in area code. In this instance the last seven digit matching scheme is prone to display the contact information of whichever contact first provides the seven-digit match; regardless of the actual number dialed or received. In another United States example, a user may dial a non-contact number that matches the same last seven digits of a stored contact. In this instance, the stored contact information is displayed even though it has no relevancy to the number that is being dialed.
Therefore, a need exists for a robust contact-matching scheme that provides for matching and subsequent display of contact information to occur in most instances in which a connection occurs and for no matching and subsequent display of contact information to occur in most instances in which a connection does not occur. In this regard the desired methods, systems and apparatus shall overcome problems related to an exact match scheme, which fails to provide contact information in many instances in which a call connection occurs, and a last seven digit match scheme, which may provide contact information in instances in which a call connection cannot be made or is made to an unintended device.